Protective animal collars, commonly referred to as Elizabethan collars, e-collars, pet cone, lamp-shade, or cone of shame, are roughly frustoconical in shape and designed to be worn around an animal's neck with the collar extending upward and outward around the animal's head. The collars are generally used to prevent an animal from licking or biting a wounded or diseased area on the animal's body. They can also be used to protect an animal's head or neck from scratching or rubbing with the paws.
Protective animal collars are commonly used after an animal has undergone a surgical procedure to prevent the animal from further aggravating the surgical site or disrupting the sutures and to decrease the risk of infection due to continued irritation of the site. However, they can also be used to prevent an animal from licking topically applied products such as medication or to prevent an animal from over-grooming.
Typically protective animal collars are made from flexible but fairly rigid material such as plastic or cardboard. The rigidity of the material prevents the animal from accessing the wounded or diseased area on its body with the more rigid materials doing a better job of keeping the head isolated. However, the rigidity of the material tends to negatively correlate with the animal's comfort in wearing the collar. Increasing rigidity also tends to increase the weight of the collar, which in turn increases the chaffing on the wearer. Also, the more rigid the material, the more difficulty the animal has moving around and the more jarring for the animal if it runs into an object. Additionally, the more rigid the material, the more damage that occurs to furniture, walls, and/or people if the animal runs into them. Furthermore, the more rigid the material, the less likely the protective collar can be collapsed for storage. Lastly, the protective animal collars block the wearer's vision causing the animal to run into things. Accordingly, there is a need for a protective animal collar that is functional and comfortable for the wearer.